Windmill.



.B. M; AMY.

WINDMILL. APPLICATION FILED MAR.13, 191].

998,446, Patented July 18,1911.

I m a 2 I 2/ 7 26 if H 25 INVENTOI? iwmfzan I ATM/ COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPHc0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

EDWIN M. AMY, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

WINDMILL.

Specification of Letters fiatent.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Application filed March 13, 1911. Serial No. 614,105.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN M. AMY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Windmills, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wind-mills.

The object of my improvements is to provide a wind-mill which will beactuated by the wind when blowing in any direction without the necessityof using a tail vane or other contrivances usually employed.

The invention works equally well with the wind blowing in any directionand light, variable, or fluctuating winds are utilized with a maximum ofefiiciency.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple andcomparatively inexpensively constructed wind-mill provided with means tothrow it out of operation when desired as when the force of windincreases to a velocity that would endanger the stability of thestructure.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and adaptation of parts, as hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in form, proportion, size and minor details of constructionwithin the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of devices embodying my inventionshown partly in side elevation and partly in verti cal section. Fig. 2is a fragmentary plan view of the vane-supporting cross arms with thevanes and attached mechanism in open condition. Fig. 3 is a like viewwith the vanes closed.

The reference numeral 1 designates a suitable tower structure providedwith supporting legs 2.

3 is a vertical shaft supported in bearings 4t axially of the tower.Fixedly mounted for rotation with said shaft are spaced upper and lowerhub-members 5 and 6, respectively, to each of which are secured an equalnumber of radially disposed angle-bars 7 and 8 respectively arrangedsymmetrically one above the other.

9 are wind-vanes, concavo-convex in cross section, which are eachprovided along one of their longitudinal edges with a post 10 projectingat both ends beyond the vane to form a pivotal connection in bearings 11and 12 in the upper and lower of the bars 7 and 8, respectively. Saidbearings are positioned .in proximity of the outer extremities 17 ofsaid bars and the respective vanes are arranged to extend outwardly fromsaid pivots when in open operative condition and have their convexsurfaces contact with the extremities of the bars to limit the advancemovement thereof. The upper pivot 1 1 is desirably projected upwardlybeyond said bearing 11 to receive a coil spring 15 having an extremity16 thereof extended downwardly in engagement with the convex side of therespective vane and tending to urge the latter rearwardly, that is'tosay, into the position in which they are shown in Fig. 3, wherein thevanes are folded inwardly and their outer lateral edge 13 is engaged bya stop 18 secured on the rearward proximate bar. Said stops arepositioned upon said bars inwardly of the pivotal connections upon thesame bar that in said closed condition of the wheel the vanes in advancewill be shielded from wind catching on their under side by the furtherradially projecting pivotal edges of the next rearward vanes.

19 are flexible connections which are secured to each vane, as by anapertured lug 20 on the convex side thereof, and are extended radiallyalong the channels of the upper bars 7 to the inner end of therespective bar thence over anti-friction rollers 21 downwardly toconnection with a sus pended annular weight 22 which may desirablyencircle said shaft 3. Said weight through its connection'19 hassuiiicient gravity to retain the vanes in their outermost extendedpositions in opposition to the several springs 15 and in the operationof windmill performs that function. When it is desired to throw themachine out of operation, the said weight is elevated through suitablemechanical devices, as by a lever pivoted at 24 to one of the towersupports. One end 25 ofsaid lever is arranged to engage the under sideof said weight 22 whereby the latter may be raised and secured as by arope 26 attached to the opposite end 27 of the lever and extending towithin reach of a person standing on the ground level.

The manner of operation of my improved Windmill, it is thought, will beevident from the foregoing description. It may be said, however, that inthe revolutions of the wheel, the several vanes are held and secured inoperative condition by the tension exerted thereon by the suspendedweight 22 which will thereupon be about in the posi tion indicated bydotted lines a in Fig. 1. When it is desired to discontinue theoperation of the wind-mill, the said weight is elevated and secured, asdescribed, whereupon the springs 15 assert themselves and swing thevanes inwardly until interrupted by the stops 13 upon the rearwardlyadjoining bar. In such condition, the lateral edges 17 of the vanes arepositioned inwardly toward the axis of the wheel relative to itsopposite pivotal edge 10 which deflect and break the force of the windand thus guard said edge 17 against being blown outwardly when the sameis directed against the wind. When it is desired to open said vanes tooperate the wheel, said weight is released from its supported engagementwith the lever arm 25 and again permitted to exert a pull through saidflexible connections 19 upon the several vanes and overcome theopposition of the springs 15 and opens the vanes to lie in theirextended positions, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. V

The apparatus described is simple in construction, has few moving partsand is very eflicient to perform the work for which in tended.

What I claim as my invention and to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A wind mill comprising the combination of a revolving shaft, two setsof spaced bars radiating from said shaft, concavo-condesire vex vanespivotally secured upon one side thereof to said bars, spring devicesupon each vane urging the latter to swing inwardly, and a weightoperatively connected by a flexible connection vanes tending to opensaid ble of overcoming the power of said springs.

2. A wind-mill comprising the combination of a revolving shaft, two setsof spaced bars radiating from said shaft, concavo-convex vanes pivotallysecured upon one side thereof to said bars, spring devices upon eachvane urging the latter to swing inwardly, a stop upon each of the armslimiting the inward movement of the adjacent advance vanes, and a weightoperatively connected by a flexible connection to each of said vanestending to open said vanes and capable of overcoming the power of saidsprings.

3. A wind-mill comprising the combination of a revolving shaft, two setsof spaced bars radiating from said shaft, concaveconvex vanes pivotallysecured upon one side thereof to said bars, spring devices upon eachvane urging the latter to swing inwardly, a stop upon each of the armslimiting the inward movement of the adjacent advance vane, a weightoperatively connected by a flexible connection to each of said vanestending to open said vanes and capable of overcoming the power of saidsprings, and means to raise and maintain said weight from influencingsaid vanes and thereby permit said springs to bring said vanes to closedcondition.

EDWIN M. AMY. Witnesses:

H. BARNES,

E. PETERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington. D. G.

to each of said vanes and capa-'

